David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) claimed victory for Belgian champion Wout van Aert in the third stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, this Tuesday, at the arrival at altitude in the resort of Chastreix-Sancy (Puy-de-Dôme) .
Gaudu went up in extremis van Aert who took over the leader's yellow jersey after this mid-mountain stage concluded by the sprint of the peloton of the favorites.
The Belgian from the Jumbo-Visma was surprised when he had raised his arms on the line.
“I made a rookie mistake,” he explained.
We worked so hard all day.
We really wanted to impose ourselves.
I lost on my own.
this is the first time that it happens to me.
I hope it's the last.
It happens in a fraction of a second.
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😁 Never raise your arms too soon... Van Aert thinks he has won but Gaudu blows his victory on the line!
The Frenchman offers himself the 3rd stage of the #Dauphiné, the Belgian will console himself with the yellow jersey taken from Vuillermoz #LesRP pic.twitter.com/V6mefzRQhN
– Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) June 7, 2022
At the altitude of 1396 meters, another Frenchman, Victor Lafay, took third place.
The wearer of the yellow jersey, Alexis Vuillermoz, however, was distanced in the last 2.5 kilometers.
The survivors of the day's breakaway (Rolland, Gregaard, Schönberger) were joined at the foot of the final climb, 6.2 km long at 5.6%.
Aged 25, Gaudu, 11th in the Tour de France last year, took his ninth victory, the second of the season after a stage in the Tour of Algarve in Portugal.
"In the sprint, I couldn't believe it and then I gave it a shot," said the Groupama-FDJ climber.
Since the beginning of the season, I have been chasing after a victory like that.
After the galleys of the past few months, it feels good.
Doubts are behind now.
This promises for the future.
We will see in the time trial and then during the mountainous stages this weekend.
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Wednesday, the 4th stage takes the form of an individual time trial of 31.9 km between Montbrison and La Bâtie d'Urfé (Loire) on a flat course, favorable to the most powerful riders.